


The Chase

by Maki_Jss



Category: UNIQ (Band), UP10TION, X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 03:56:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29694681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maki_Jss/pseuds/Maki_Jss
Summary: For the first time in his life, Kim Wooseok had a crush on someone. The problem is, he has only been chased by others, not the other way around.Ahhhh, mom, I'm going to chase Cho Seungyoun anyway!
Relationships: Cho Seungyeon | Seungyoun/Kim Wooseok | Wooshin
Comments: 16
Kudos: 38





	1. The Chase?

If there is a physique called “overly dependent,” Kim Wooseok must be it. Although it is not that he can’t live without people’s attention… well, wrong, he can’t live without it.

Let's put it this way, Kim Wooseok is certainly able to live on his own, but mentally if he feels lonely, he will immediately get sick, physically and mentally.  
So for him, having the endless love of his fans is really like a sustenance for him to live. After all, after leaving his mom and coming to work as an idol in Seoul, there isn’t going to be anyone else to love him like his fans.  
"I have no one else but you guys."—Such service-like words came out from Kim Wooseok’s mouth often but there was no hint of falsehood. Even though his number of fans was small, he was always happy to see them being loyal and supportive on all platforms, as if that was the only way his value could be reflected.

However, after having a crush with Cho Seungyoun, everything changed, and even though he is still having lots of love from his fans, he still feels painful sometimes.

They met through the same program, which brought in some solo idols and asked them to temporarily form some groups to compete every week. The two are similar in age and both are considered to be from the hyung line, so they were often grouped together. Although generally speaking, Kim Wooseok does not like this kind of person who immediately becomes the center everywhere he goes, Seungyoun was different. Wooseok thought that Seungyoun was very talented and hardworking; he could be loud sometimes but personality-wise he was not superficial. Also, he was very serious and thoughtful when practicing, and he could be quiet and just crouching by the wall looking at his cellphone for a long time. What a strange guy.

Falling in love can be very random. And Kim Wooseok knows it full well. Starting from one casual day, Wooseok found himself couldn’t take his eyes off Seungyoun during the practice. His perfect height, flawless face, robust body, and in general the dazzling light around his existence, all made Wooseok lose his shit. Next thing he knew, he was already blushing whenever he saw him.  
Seungyoun was everyone’s friend in the show, and was super outgoing, so it didn’t seem like he would notice another person’s crush on him, or so Wooseok believed. But ironically, Seungyoun was actually quite sensitive and considerate of others' conditions. Wooseok thought to himself after realizing that he was gentle to everyone: Ah, maybe I didn’t really have a “crush”, I was just taken away by his charisma.

However, later on, Seungyoun somehow seemed to take care of Wooseok even more. Although Wooseok wanted to convince himself that it was a hallucination, after a few weeks of filming and living in the same hotel, he believed that Seungyoun did spend more time with him than with anyone else. Seungyoun would take him everywhere he went, ask him to join for a late-night snack, worried if he was tired or wanted to drink water during practice, and seemed to be quite natural to even hug him out of fun during breaks. At first, Wooseok’s heart was about to jump out, but slowly, he got used to such skinship.

When you don't see him, your mind is full of him, and when you see him, you want to hide in a hole and watch in silence. This kind of feeling for first love was something that Wooseok did not expect to experience once again in his twenties, and also, to a man.  
Moreover, Wooseok felt that such adoration was destined to be one-way, after all, Seungyoun did not look like he would be into men. As to why Seungyoun was so nice to him during the filming, maybe it was simply because… he was a nice person?

The show they were on had been filmed over a month, and unfortunately both of them were eliminated halfway. Although disappointed, Wooseok thought it was a good experience and also, he got to know Seungyoun as a friend. It's just that there wouldn’t be any legitimate opportunity to meet him later, right? When Wooseok thought about it, he felt quite sad. In fact, the day they parted, Seungyoun said bye and drove away in his luxury car immediately. If he really had some feelings for me, he would at least ask if I needed a ride, right? Wooseok shook his head and thought to himself that he was really overthinking things and making a fool of himself.

As he was too depressed that day, he went home and told his roommate Lee Jinhyuk about his crush on Seungyoun for the past half month, and Jinhyuk just failed him even more by saying, "He was just your co-worker. Now this job done, he’s off to the next.”  
"Not even friends?" Wooseok asked.  
"Uh, I don't know, but it doesn't matter, you guys aren't in the same company anyway, so the next time you meet you may even be competitors."  
"That's true." Wooseok returned to his room in frustration.

He started to surf social media since it had been a while since he could have access to his phone. And suddenly, he came across a post entitled, "Ship SeungSeok, aka Cho Seungyoun and Kim Wooseok".  
What? Wooseok rose up from his bed. This was something he didn’t expect because for one thing, he hadn’t yet checked about people’s comments on him on this show, and for another, he knew he only had one “ship” and that was with Jinhyuk. So the fact that there were actually people online shipping him and his crush made his heart fluster. The person who initiated the thread provided some "evidence" from the show when Wooseok and Seungyoun were in one frame or looking good on one stage. But then it followed by many other screenshots of people looking for even the tiniest interactions between them on and off stage. At some point Wooseok himself even commented, "This? The video editor did this on purpose, right?” “Wait, I didn’t know we were this close back then???”

Although he knew better than anyone that these were the fantasies of netizens, the more he read the thread, the more uneasy he felt. Moreover, in the most recent updates, he found that there were several new photos in which Seungyoun was actually silently watching him from behind. Also, another photo showed that Seungyoun was giving him a manner hand in the back when he was walking down stage...... Really, how could you not overthink when he did something like this and only to you?

Wooseok jumped out of bed, opened the door, and then shouted to Jinhyuk who was playing a video game in the living room.  
"Well, it's okay for me to actively pursue him, right?"  
"Who? What?”  
"I'll go after Cho Seungyoun."  
"You'll chase someone else? Wow, you've only been chased by others since you were a kid!"  
"Hey! Lee Jinhyuk! Can't I chase someone I like for once?"

Now Jinhyuk had nothing to say. Indeed, no one said that a pretty, cute, and handsome man can't chase another man. Well, despite the fact that they are both active solo idols.

"You are an idol. Can you do this? Thinking about falling in love and dating?" Just for the record, Jinhyuk reminded him.  
This time Wooseok became silent, his hand holding the door panel gradually slipped down, "I, I just want to know if he likes me a little bit......"  
"Whatever, I'm not your mother nor your boss." Jinhyuk gave him a blank look and turned back to continue playing the game.

Wooseok went back to his room with his head down, realizing that he had been an idol for 8 years and had never been in love. So this time, although he felt he really "likes" someone, he did not know what he really wanted. Maybe he didn’t want to "fall in love," he just wanted to know if he was being liked by someone that he liked. He didn’t know why he seemed to need such approval. To him, being liked by fans was a completely different thing. Fans come and go, but there will always be some staying by his side. But for his own crush, there is no guarantee that he will always be there. What if he will be taken by others? That’s a big NO for Wooseok.

But the problem came again, Kim Wooseok was a person who had never pursued others. Although he could imagine things in his head straightforwardly, it was simply a mission impossible for him at the moment.

At this time, his phone suddenly vibrated, and out of everyone on his phonebook, it was from Cho Seungyoun!!! "Wooseok ah, I'm watching the rerun of our show, we were so cute here lol" And the message came with a photo of the two of them making a heart-shaped ending pose.

Ahhhhh, mom, I’m going to chase him anyway.

TBC.


	2. TTYL

After making this decision, however, Wooseok somehow has generated a guilty conscious. First off, he felt unwilling to disrupt Seungyoun, especially after following all his social media accounts and realizing he has been quite busy with new ads and promotions recently, second, almost a week after they were done filming, he has never received another text from Seungyoun and he didn’t know if he should contact him first.

Nevertheless, his feeling for Seungyoun has not been reduced. Since he went on vacation right after the program, everyday he would just stay home, do random stuff, and check on Seungyoun’s social media platform religiously. And if there’re new photos, he would save them and be fanboying over them... Of course, he would also check posts about their “ship” and couldn’t help but smiling uncontrollably.

“Jinhyuk-ah, help me!!! How should I chase him???” Exactly a week after the decision was made, Wooseok had no progress and finally turned someone for help.

“How do I know? But wait, so you are serious? I thought you were just whipped for the time being and then you’ll just forget about him,” Jinhyuk said.

“Do I look like I wasn’t serious?” Wooseok seemed offended, “I told you my big secret so now you need to help me! Didn’t you go to the same radio show once? Do you two get along well?” Wooseok seized Jinhyuk’s neck from behind and squeezed.

“H, help… is this how you beg someone for help? I really don’t know him much. And I never pursued a guy. What do you expect me to do? You’ve been popular all your life, how did others pursue you?”

Wooseok started to recall how he had been chased by others before. And the memories were consisted of anonymous love letters in the locker, in the drawer, or even a few girls blocking his way home threatening him into a relationship… None of this helps, none.

“How about you consult with your fans?”

“What?” Wooseok yelled, “Tell them that I have a crush on this guy and ask them what to do?”

Jinhyuk was unbothered even though Wooseok was clearly anxious and mad at the same time.

It’s crazy how Wooseok was having such a hard time figuring out a way to contact Seungyoun. It was normal when they were filming together, but once he realized his feeling, nothing worked anymore. Because now he wanted more, he wanted to get to know him a little more, wanted to hang out with him longer… it is best to meet every day, and then have natural physical contact like before… The more Wooseok thought about his yearning, the more he wanted to dig a hole and jump in again. Honestly, he didn’t remember having the same feeling for another person. Maybe this is called “soulmate,” or at least he unilaterally believed so.

While Wooseok was immersed in his fancy, a familiar voice sounded on TV. It was a cosmetic brand’s new ad and Seungyoun was the new ambassador.

“The bgm is pretty good, oh, and it’s written by himself?” Jinhyuk commented, reading the credit on the righthand corner of the screen.

However, Wooseok did not care to read the credits, he watched the ad in which Seungyoun was moving freely to the music, and his heart once again rippled along with the rhythm. After the commercial ends, he dived back into his room, this time picking up his phone and opening the dialogue with Seungyoun in the chat app.

"I saw your TV commercial, it's good!" He quickly wrote the message and took a deep breath. It’s ok. This is just a friend supporting his job-- he told himself. This would be a perfect timing to raise some conversation with Seungyoun.

However, just before he clicked "send,” Jinhyuk’s voice came in from outside, "Hey, don't be too impulsive."

"Huh?" Wooseok put down his phone.

"You know, you've done a lot of stupid things on impulse. And, it may be that your brain dopamine secretion is too much, so you think you love him but in fact it was just because he was good to you during the show and you took the bait. Maybe he was trying to build a bromance relationship with you for the sake of the show or for the audience’s votes. If you two are really as close as you think you are, he would have asked you out a long time ago. He should be the one to take initiative, since I know you would never.”

Wooseok was a bit confused, he didn’t know why Jinhyuk, who didn't show interest in this matter just now, now suddenly acting like a life counselor. However, Jinhyuk’s words were like a bang on the head. Indeed, if Seungyoun really treated him as a friend, he would continue being nice to him instead of cutting the friendship right away, right?

However, the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. So he rushed to the living room and messed up Jinhyuk’s hair: "You don't know anything! Why are you saying bad things about him?"

"I just don't want you to get hurt, and he doesn't look like he’s into men. I mean, he looks pretty straight."

Another headbutt. Wooseok sometimes really hates that his roommate loves to spit the truth.

Wooseok sullenly returned to his room and picked up his phone, and the message on it that hadn’t been sent was lit up again. He sighed, and suddenly, his hand slipped and the message was sent at once.

"Ahhhhh..." Wooseok shrieked in panic, but the message immediately showed "read" by the receiver.

"I saw your TV commercial, it's good!" --What a boring conversation! Who do I think I am? A director? Wooseok really hated himself for not being able to retract the message.

On the other hand, Seungyoun quickly sent back an emoji of a manta ray fish, a sea creature that his fans think he looks like when he smiles. The reason why Wooseok knew, of course, was because he’s been lurking under Seungyoun’s twitter account and seeing a lot of such pictures…

So cute… He murmured. It did look like him a lot, the way he smiled like a child, but also so warm and soft… Wooseok imagined, and naturally replied another message: “Are you busy now?”

"Well, a little, I’m recording music. Talk to you later."

The third headbutt of the day.

Isn’t “TTYL” the same as “I’m busy. Don’t disturb”?

When they were recording the show together, Wooseok knew that although Seungyoun was an idol, he was also an independent music producer, so it makes sense that he is very busy on a daily basis. And so maybe Wooseok should be expecting such a reply. Wooseok began to self-reflect on the fact that he only got to know Seungyoun from this show, and his knowledge of him was actually very limited… How in the world did I fall in love with him......?

That night Wooseok had a fever. Since he was a child, if he felt an ache in the back of his head, it was deemed to become a fever. Generally speaking, it would just be a low fever and he would be fine after a short sleep, so he just directly turned off all the lights and shrunk under the quilts. Jinhyuk was not home, either. In fact, he had not renewed the contract with the company and would soon leave here. Not gonna lie, this matter had also made Wooseok very distressed recently. Ever since he arrived in Seoul, he had never lived along. At first he was with some trainees, and after solo debut, he convinced Jinhyuk to live with him. But Jinhyuk actually has his home in Seoul, and this time he would definitely move out while his contract was about to be terminated. This time, Wooseok thought he had no other reason to find another roommate and it was about time for him to really be independent… although, it still felt scary.

It was just after 8pm, when the nightlife in Seoul was just starting. The quieter the house was, the more he could hear the noise outside. Wooseok tucked himself into a ball and suddenly started to feel sorry for himself. Everyone around him seem to have something to work on, to fight for, everyone was pursuing a better future… and how he is lying here, content with the fans he has and his little fame, and even thinking about chasing a man?

The more he thought about it, the more depressed he was. He opened the music app in his phone, and the musician that appeared on the first page was Seungyoun aka Woodz. Of course, it was because he had been listening to him a lot for the past few days. He clicked on a song called "Different", which he liked the most. It was calming from the intro and a bit distant in the middle, but the familiar tenderness in Seungyoun’s voice reminded him of the time when the two of them recorded the show together.

To be honest, when think about it now, there was nothing really special between them. When recording, time was tight and the task was heavy, so contestants needed to form a team and start rehearsing right away. Since the two of them were at the similar age and their styles matched quite easily, Seungyoun took the lead and took good care of him. Consequently, there seemed to be nothing wrong with going for a coffee and a snack together. As for what they talked about at that time, Wooseok realized that he didn't seem to remember clearly. Maybe it was the dim light bulb of the snack stand that made Seungyoun looked too handsome and sexy, or maybe it was because Seungyoun liked to stare at his eyes when talking, which made him too embarrassed to process their conversation…

Ah, what a fool he is.

Wooseok thought and his brain hurt again. The fever was still ongoing, the song had stopped, and the traffic outside the window was still lousy…

Yes, the whole city is busy, is it really good for me to stay like this and not seeking anything…? 

Buzz. Buzz.

Wooseok woke up again because of the vibration of his phone next to the pillow. He struggled inside his head and finally decided to look it up.

"Wooseok, sorry I was busy earlier, how are you? Is there something wrong?"

Wooseok rubbed his eyes and rolled over. He found himself sweating profusely at some point, and his brain still hurt vaguely.

"Ah, I, nothing." Probably too dazed from the fever, he typed a few words back at random.

"Want to come over for a late-night snack then? Come to my studio, it's near your aparment."

Wait, what?

Wooseok now completely woke up, what did he mean? How did he know my apartment? Going to his studio? Where the heck is his studio?

"You coming? The address is here: XXXX." While Wooseok was still wondering, Seungyoun sent the address to him already.

Wooseok wiped his sweat and read the conversation several times carefully to make sure he wasn't dreaming. It seemed that Seungyoun’s "TTYL" was really not perfunctory......

"Okay, I'll come over now." Wooseok sat up and replied immediately, regardless of whether he was still sick or not.


	3. The Party

Wooseok was almost in a dating mood to prepare to meet Seungyoun. Although the two often wandered around the hotel and nearby food stalls in T-shirts issued by the program when they were recording the show, that was because everyone was like that and thus nothing to guard or worry about. But now it's different, this is the first time Seungyoun asked him out after the show! In private! However, when it comes to the clothes, Wooseok was not an expert as he relied on his stylists too much. After going through his closet for a long time, he still couldn’t decide what to wear. He didn’t want to be overdressed for a night snack date, but also didn’t want to be underdressed to look unattractive. He looked at the clock, it was almost nine o'clock. Darn it, he was seriously having a headache.

Speaking of headache, he was actually still having it physically because of his low fever. If Seungyoun hadn't called him, he wouldn't have gotten up. The original plan was to sleep in until whenever tomorrow. But now it's useless to say this, it's already been twenty minutes since Seungyoun invited, and Wooseok knew he had to hurry up.

According to the address that Seungyoun sent, his studio was indeed not far from Wooseok's residence, which was basically just two blocks away. Although it was summer, it was still a little windy at night, so Wooseok wore a jacket outside his favorite shirt. He also wore a black hat and a pair of flat glasses, which was really more formal than "just having a snack".

As he arrived at the building where Seungyoun’s studio was located. He was again amazed by the fact that he was actually quite familiar with this area, and didn’t know Seungyoun was this close to him. Perhaps they even rubbed shoulders when crossing the streets?

As Wooseok entered the elevator, Seungyoun’s message came again: "Have you found the place? Do you want me to come down and pick you up?"

Picked up ...... Wooseok was flustered over the offer, but the elevator had already reached the floor he was going to. And just before the door opened, he already heard some noise outside.

“Happy Birthday!”

The elevator door opened and Wooseok was greeted with the wish… but no, it was not for him. A group of 7 or 8 people was blocking the corridor, showing their backs to him while screaming and shouting towards someone. Wooseok was shocked and wondered if he entered the wrong floor.

But then, he heard someone yelling again, “Happy Birthday Seungyounie!!!”

“Wish you to become richer this year by selling more albums and feed us!!!”

“Shut up!”

Then, there was a burst of more familiar laughter from behind this crowd. These people had a group hug and it looked so nice, like a family. And it was then that Wooseok realized, “Ah, it is Seungyoun’s birthday today? But why… am I here? This is quite embarrassing…”

Suddenly, someone finally saw him standing outside the elevator like a lost child. It was a young woman, probably of a similar age as him, but she only pointed at Wooseok and looking confused.

“Wow, Wooseok! You are here!” And this led Seungyoun to finally find him. He pushed the crowd aside and walked to him quickly, “It’s great that you are here!”

However, Wooseok was not feeling anything. The hug came as a surprise but his whole brain was still processing what was going on. After a few seconds, he said, “Err… so… it’s your birthday?”

"Well ......" Seungyoun let go of him, but both hands were still heavily on Wooseok’s thin shoulders.

“Seungyoun?” At this time, another person came over, looking at them curiously.

“Oh, ok, guys, this is Kim Wooseok. You should all know him, right?” Seungyoun realized that he hadn’t introduced his guest yet. And then he lowered himself by Wooseok’s ear and whispered, “These are my friends, we make music together. They came just before you.”

Wooseok felt awkward as he was soon surrounded by these “party people,” but out of professionalism, he squeezed a smile.

“Hey, Wooseok, nice to meet you!”

“Wow, you look more handsome in person than on TV!”

“So cute!”

“I’ve watched your show with Seungyoun. He must have given you a hard time, huh? He just could never calm down…”

The friends said to him one after another.

“Erh… it’s ok…” Wooseok tried to answer them but he’d rather just ran away.

“Let’s eat! Oh wait, let’s open the birthday cake and blow the candles first!” Someone shouted in the far end of the corridor which saved Wooseok from such embarrassment.

Honestly, Wooseok usually doesn't like such a noisy party environment, let alone being sick and suddenly called to be with a group of people he's never met before. What was Seungyoun thinking? He couldn't help but look sideways at Seungyoun, but the man gave him a bright smile and nudged his mouth as if inviting him into the room.

Ahhh, fine… guess Wooseok was defenselessly whipped for this man.

As a result, he was like a helpless boat in the dreadful waves, pushed by the group to join the celebration by singing the birthday song, taking photos, and watching him make a wish and blow out the candles.

Next, someone turned on the party music without a break, and then the whole group swarmed to the big table where snacks and pizzas were placed and began engulfing them. Wooseok stood at the corner and looked around. There were two smaller rooms connected to this big living room, which seemed to have many musical instruments in them. Looking up, the speakers here also seemed very pricey, and the soundproofing probably costed a lot of money as well ...... It was really quite a lavish studio. Wooseok wanted to look for Seungyoun in the crowd, but he didn't need to look to know that he was happily chatting with the others, after all, that bright and high-pitched laughter kept coming into his ears, and that was his favorite sound.

At every party, there are people who don't really fit in and can only stand in the corner. Although Wooseok didn't do it on purpose, in today's situation, he could only naturally take on such an awkward role. But he always remembered what Lee Jinhyuk said before, "As long as I don't feel embarrassed, it's others who are embarrassed."

However, not long after, a female friend of Seungyoun came over with a beer. The woman with fancy curvy hair and pretty makeup said to him, "Do you want to drink? Sorry, we just decided to surprise him tonight, did we scare you?"

Wooseok mechanically took the beer, opened it, gulped a large sip, and then shook his head, "Nothing, it's just that I didn't know it was his birthday, and I was called over in a daze."

"Eh? Is that so?" The lady, hearing this, immediately opened her eyes wide and shouted at the protagonist of the party, "What do you mean, Cho Seungyoun?! How dare you prepare to ask him to come to your birthday alone?"

"Huh?" Wooseok was startled: _So… this group of people just came a few minutes earlier than me? There was no such party in the first place?_ However, before his mind could wander further, he was overpowered by everyone's uproar.

"Seungyoun, do you still consider us friends? You didn’t even look for us on your birthday?"

"Sorry, but I don’t want to remind everyone it’s my birthday," Seungyoun begged for mercy.

"Then why did you only want Kim Wooseok-shii to come over? What's your relationship?" Another person asked.

"What? D, do I need your permission to ask who to come?" Seungyoun argued.

"No, no, Seungyoun, our friendship has come to an end!" The same person acted dramatically and pretended to cry.

"Let him drink more!" The crowd frolicked at Seungyoun again.

Wooseok felt like he was in a different dimension while this farce was going on, although he knew that his heart was beating fast due to the realization that Seungyoun probably was planning on only inviting him alone. _In other words, originally he only wanted to ask me to come and spend his birthday with him? Wait, in that case, does he ...... also like me???_ Although Wooseok clearly jumped to a conclusion too fast, he was at least feeling better after feeling like a clown for most of the time.

Seungyoun was punished with a few glasses of wine and finally came over again, "I'm sorry, Wooseokie, I didn't know they were coming, you're not too used to it, right? But they're all very good friends of mine, not bad people."

"Pfft!" Wooseok looked down and smiled, "Of course I know they are not bad people, it's just that now I'm the one who's embarrassed and didn't even know it was your birthday."

"Initially, I also did not intend to celebrate, I just wanted to call you to eat some night snacks because I accidentally ordered too much......"

As they were talking, the speaker above them suddenly started a powerful song and the group instantly boiled up as if they were ignited. Someone then "snapped" the lights off and replaced them with the flashy lights used on the dance floor. And immediately, an arm stretched towards them, and just like that, Seungyoun was dragged into the crowd ......

Wooseok was dumbfounded and took a few steps backward. He could not immediately break down everything that had happened from a few minutes ago to now. In the deafening music and bass-heavy sound, he simply leaned against the wall to catch some breath, while not far away, Seungyoun was already changed from being soft and courteous just now to the king of the dance floor. The transition in between was maybe just a second ......

This was not surprising to Wooseok though. When recording the show, it was clear that Seungyoun was a “maniac” most of the time, and Wooseok wanted to laugh whenever he saw him, thinking that this guy was too noisy, yet cute, that he couldn't take his eyes off him. But now, he watched Seungyoun dancing with another group of people that he didn’t know, he felt very distant. Well, yea, it’s impossible for a person like Seungyoun to not have a lot of friends. Maybe Seungyoun was nice to him during the show, but once he returned to the circle that he belonged, he was no longer someone he knew... Wooseok thought to himself. So what he only invited him? Is this even the attitude to invite someone to spend the birthday together?

And Wooseok really had a mini heartbreak when he saw, in the slit of the dancing people, the woman who just came to talk to him was grabbing Seungyoun’s hands and bouncing together with the music……

This space was obviously about to explode, but Wooseok felt that someone had just poured a pot of cold water on his head.

_Maybe I should just leave… after all, I’m still a patient_ , Wooseok thought and moved toward the door. _See, even I leave like this, no one will notice me…_

So he left, walking into the elevator alone, going down, crossing the acquainted streets.

_It’s funny how I wanted to chase him, but now, I just wanted to hide away…._ Looking at the busy traffic, Wooseok put both hands in his pocket and sighed.


	4. Chicken Feet?

Kim Wooseok returned home sullenly, a sense of failure that made him frustrated and sad, but at the same time, he felt that there was nothing he could do. Maybe, as Jinhyuk said, he shouldn't have had the idea of "chasing him" at all, maybe he just fell in love at first sight because Seungyoun was nice to him, and this kind of childish unrequited love couldn't have come to fruition. Obviously, Seungyoun had his own circle of friends, a circle that was very unrelated to him. The show they filmed together was just a utopia for them to get to know each other, but once they returned to reality, they all went back to their own circles and did what they had to do.

"But my circle is boring," Wooseok murmured as he laid down on his bed again. Even his only friend Jinhyuk would leave him soon…

Although Wooseok wanted to go back to sleep, after all that mess at Seungyoun’s place just now and walking back in the cold wind, he felt that his body was even more uncomfortable than before. His head felt like it was being drilled by some sharp objects, and his nose started to run uncontrollably. “I really should not go. I was such a fool,” the more Wooseok about it, the sadder and more aggravated he felt. “Seungyoun is such a bastard. He knows nothing!”

Since Wooseok didn’t feel well, he rolled in bed back and forth and accidentally tapped the “play” button on his phone screen. Then, the song “Different” started to play again.

“Yea, aren’t we different,” Wooseok said to himself and finally shed some tears. Nothing worked right, nothing.

However, even as he cried, he felt indignant, _why should I cry? I was already crying with a runny nose, and it was so troublesome to get up and get tissues ...... It was so cold ......_ He kept on blaming himself: _why did I do such a useless thing, I was the Kim Wooseok that everyone loves! How can I be so sad because of such a small thing? It's so embarrassing…_

After feeling sorry for himself for a long time, Wooseok finally fell back into sleep. However, it was as if everything was working against him tonight, as he had just fallen asleep for a short time, his phone rang violently. He looked at the screen in a daze, and it was a number he didn't recognize. Moreover, it was already three o'clock, who could it be at this time of day? He did not want to pay attention, but the caller persistently dialed for another ten minutes. Eventually, Wooseok really could not stand, so he pressed the "answer" and closed his eyes, and said softly: "Hello?"

"Ah! Wooseokie! You finally answered!!! I was so worried!!!" The voice on the phone sounded surprised and happy, as well as a little bit relieved.

"Hmm?"

"Why did you leave without saying a word? Oh no, it's my fault, it's my fault, I'm downstairs at your house now and brought you chicken feet."

Only then did Wooseok realize that it was Seungyoun on the phone. His eyes widened at once and he picked up the phone and stared at the screen, yet the person on the phone was still talking to himself, "Let me go up, Wooseokie, open a gate for me, what floor is your apartment? Where is it? ......"

"I'm at 802 ...... eh, no, wait a minute ...... Cho, Cho Seungyoun?" Wooseok scrambled and wiped his nose, "You're downstairs?"

"Yeah."

"What are you doing over here? It's three o'clock.”

"Well, because you left and I was worried. Come on, it's cold outside, I'll come up for just a bit, okay?"

Wooseok listened and felt as if there was no other choice but to open the door for him.

"Wait a minute,” Wooseok said and hung up the phone. He wanted to get up and put on his clothes and pants, however just by getting out of bed, the pain in his brain already made him hold the wall.

The phone rang again and Wooseok was in a dash and got mad, “Damn you Cho Seungyoun! Why are you always in a hurry!” –even though he only said it to himself. He then slowly reached the door panel and pressed open the lobby door for him.

Half a minute later, he heard the elevator door opened, and then a rush of footsteps came his way. Almost subconsciously, he hid behind the door.

"Wooseok-ah, is it this way?" Seungyoun’s voice sounded cautiously from the doorway.

"Hmm," Kim Woo Suk answered as he hid behind the door.

Seungyoun immediately stepped inside and checked behind the door, only to see Wooseok shrinking in a ball like a scared kitten, unwilling to look at him.

"What's wrong?" Seungyoun approached him.

"Don't--" Kim Woo Suk shrank even more, "I, I have a fever."

"Huh?" Seungyoun was shocked. He left the bag with chicken feet on the floor and reached out to take Wooseok’s chin, before the latter could even react, he put his own head against it. Sure enough, his forehead was hot.

Wooseok almost had a heart attack in addition to the fever. What the hell happened? Why did Seungyoun suddenly put his head against his own head? He dodged away alarmedly.

Seungyoun was also startled, but now he saw Wooseok’s face clearly and realized that it was pretty "miserable." Definitely the look of a serious fever: not only the face was red, the tear marks and snot were also clearly visible. His big watery eyes were so helpless and pitiful, and he seemed also… a little angry.

"Who asked you to come?!" Realizing that Seungyoun had been staring at him for too long, Wooseok became more embarrassed and mad. He hurriedly ran to get some tissues to cover his face, "Why are you coming here now?!”

"Uh, it's my bad,” Seungyoun saw him look frightened and it also made him a little overwhelmed, "I, I came to bring you chicken feet ...... No, I mean I come to apologize to you."

Apologize? Wooseok froze for a moment.

"Sorry, it's all my fault, I was going to call you alone today, but my friends came and left you out in the cold. So I brought your favorite chicken feet to apologize, and this is the takeout I just ordered again, but you are sick now… and can't eat spicy food right?”

Wooseok was dazed for a bit as he still could not process why Seungyoun suddenly became so sincere to apologize at this hour. Wait, and he really said that he originally only invited himself? Wooseok’s head was a mess and he subconsciously held it in panic.

"Did you get a fever after returning home just now? Ugh, now I can't forgive myself even more, I'm really sorry, Wooseokie." Seungyoun continued and tried to touch Wooseok, only to be dodged by the latter once again.

"I, I'll be fine after a nap. It's your birthday, why are you coming to apologize to me, I'm fine.” Wooseok answered clumsily and couldn’t look into his eyes.

"Really? Then you should hurry up and rest."

Everything seemed to come too fast, both people were unprepared, and just like that, the air in the room seemed to be nothing but awkward. And for some reason, Wooseok really did just walk back into his room silently, sat on the edge of his bed, took a pillow, and buried his head in it.

Seungyoun was at a loss for words, and after a long time, he suddenly remembered: "Have you taken your medicine? I'll go buy you medicine."

"No need to. I already took some.”

“Then I'll pour you some water, do you have hot water at home ...... Oh wait, I see it." Seungyoun looked around and found a kettle. To be honest, he wasn't particularly good at taking care of patients, and just like every other man, he thought some hot water would help to cure everything.

Wooseok sat alone on the bed listening to the kettle gurgling outside. Because the whole situation finally settled down, he slowly began to gain some sense of what this was all about.

And outside, Seungyoun also used the waiting time to calm down a bit. When the hot water was ready, he blended some cool water in it and handed a cup of warm, plain water to Wooseok.

Wooseok naturally picked it up and drank it all. After putting down the cup, he realized that Seungyoun was squatting on the floor looking at him, his expression was a bit funny because his whole features seemed to be screwed together, and he looked so worried, which was a bit cute.

"I'm fine, it's not like a fever is going to kill me," Wooseok couldn't help but comforted him.

"How can you say that? If it's too serious, of course you'll die! So how is it? Do you feel better after drinking warm water?”

"Can’t be that fast."

"Gosh!? Then what should I do? I'll go get some ice for you!" Seungyoun got up.

"Don't, don't......" Wooseok finally had the strength to take on the stance of a master, "I don’t need that. Can you just stay here with me?”

"Oh, then I'll sit down." Seungyoun sat down on the chair next to him.

After all, they were still close friends during the show, so meeting again in this way was a bit awkward but not too much. So the two just stared at each other for several seconds and then poofed out laughing at the same time.

"It's so awkward and silly, really," Wooseok said.

"What?"

"I'm talking about myself, looking so miserable. Also, I had a low fever before I went to your place, so I'm the one to blame for not taking care of myself before it got worse."

"No, it's not, it's my fault that you came over when you were sick and I didn't take good care of you. But well, your face indeed looks like it will make you lose some fans......"

Wooseok eyes widened as he smashed the pillow towards Seungyoun.

"Haha, just kidding." Seungyoun caught it right in the middle, "Don't worry, you look all pretty and doll-like even when you're sick."

Is that some kind of compliment? Wooseok froze for a moment and then became shy. Although he knew that Seungyoun was just saying that, after all, the adjective "pretty" sounded as common as "hello" to him. He sighed, "So, you really didn’t have to come over at all, you could just continue to party all night with them."

It sounded like Wooseok was obviously sulking, but Seungyoun really answered seriously, "They all had something to do tomorrow so they just left."

Wooseok’s emotion, which had barely risen a little, fell to the bottom again. Okay, so if they didn't leave, Seungyoun wouldn't have come over at all, right? He picked up another big Shiba Inu doll on the bed, trying to use it to shield himself from the frustration radiating from his body.

"Didn't you say earlier that you wanted to see how I make music? I was going to ask you to come today. And… it happened to be my birthday… so I thought we could have a snack together by the way ......" Seungyoun suddenly explained.

"Only me?" Wooseok asked, showing his big eyes from between the two ears on top of the Shiba Inu doll.

"Yes, but, I really just wanted to show you my studio, I didn’t mean that I want you to come and spend my birthday with me……”

This sounded way too strange, Wooseok frowned. But then Seungyoun hurriedly explained, "I mean, I don’t celebrate birthdays as a big deal, it just, happens to be today… and I didn't reply to your text properly in the morning when I was recording a song so I thought…”

"Do you care that much? It's all just little things,” Wooseok cut him.

"Y, yea..." Seungyoun nodded obediently.

For a moment, Wooseok suddenly had the urge to pet his head, because he was as innocent and cute as the Shiba Inu doll he was holding in his arms.

Damn, when you think the person you like is cute even when doing the bare minimum, it's already hopeless.


	5. To kiss or not to kiss

Wooseok smiled sweetly. He was no longer worried about anything since Seungyoun suddenly appeared when it was the most unexpected time. _This is a dream-like benefit, right?_ He was even a little thankful that he was sick at this time.

"Now go back to sleep, aren't you still running a fever?" Seungyoun said.

"Oh, then how about you?”

"I'll watch you."

"What?"

"I'll go back when you're asleep."

"No, no need for that,” Wooseok thought to himself that how could he sleep when Seungyoun is watching???

"But I want to," Seungyoun said casually and moved his chair forward a bit, closer to him.

"Why?"

"When we were recording the show together, didn't you say you'd sleep better when someone at home? That's why it's always important to have a roommate…”

Ah, there was indeed such a thing, Wooseok remembered. When recording the show, they were not assigned to the same room. But since his roommate got eliminated very soon, he did spend two nights in Seungyoun’s single room. But that was because they had snacks and beer and then he just naturally fell asleep on the floor… At that time he did not think too much, but now to think about it, he felt a little shy. After all, they had already spent two nights together before! –Although, both times, nothing happened. Ahhh, but nothing was supposed to happen either! Wooseok shook his head trying to chase away the messy fantasy inside.

"So, now sleep," Seungyoun demanded while pulling the shiba inu plushie away from Wooseok’s arms. He then tapped the dog’s head on Wooseok’s shoulder, “Go to sleep, arf-arf.”

Wooseok could only lie back under the comforter, but he was not ready to shut off his watery doe eyes when Seungyoun was this close, "So, will you go back when I fall asleep?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to sleep in the living room? It’s quite late… I'm sorry I'm not taking good care of you since I'm sick..."

"What are you talking about? I'm the one who did not take good care of you. Don’t worry about me. Go to sleep, I'll go back later." Seungyoun nodded at Wooseok and again, gently tapping his body with the Shiba Inu doll, "And then this kid will accompany you later after I leave,” he said.

Wooseok felt warm all over his body, not because of the fever, of course. He originally thought he would not be able to sleep with Seungyoun by his side, yet somehow, sleepiness soon came to him. It was really the feeling of having someone in the house that made him feel secured and at ease. However, before he threw himself into the dreamland, he suddenly remembered something: "By the way, Seungyoun, how did you know that my apartment is close to your stu…”

Seungyoun seemed to hesitate for a moment, but Wooseok didn't even hear what he answered, because after asking the question, he couldn't help but fall into sleep.

***

Meanwhile, looking at Kim Wooseok mumbling and felling asleep before he could even finish his own question simply made Seungyoun chuckle. The reason that he knew Wooseok lived nearby was that when he was on a radio show with Jinhyuk before, and the latter mentioned that all the artists from his agency lived around this area and he had a roommate named Wooseok. So as for tonight, Seungyoun just texted Wooseok assuming that he would appear quickly. However, it was out of his expectation that things would turn out like this, i.e., he’s here beside Wooseok’s bed, watching him sleep.

Under the dark yellow lamplight, Wooseok, whose face was flushed because of the fever, looked pitiful and cute at the same time, making him want to protect.

However, wasn’t it because Wooseok always provoked his own protective desire that he chose to stay here? Seungyoun sighed. He then waved his hand in front of Wooseok’s eyes, but the sleeping beauty did not respond. It seemed that Wooseok was really asleep, which also meant that he could now leave. Well, he originally brought the chicken feet here only because he felt a little guilty, but now although he didn't take good care of the sick Wooseok, he had been staying with him for so long that he felt less guilty inside already.

Seungyoun carefully stood up, afraid that the chair would make a little noise. He tiptoed to the door and was about to turn around and take another look at his sleeping friend before leaving, but as soon as he did that, Wooseok suddenly grunted, "Hey Seungyoun…”

"?" Seungyoun was startled, but when he looked again, Wooseok’s eyes were clearly closed.

"Seungyoun,” however, he heard it correctly, because Wooseok called again and it was indeed his name. Seungyoun became interested; after all, who wouldn’t want to continue to listen to it when his name appeared in someone else's dream? So he carefully walked back again.

Sure enough, Wooseok mumbled, "Are you leaving ......"

"Emm?” Is his dream even connected to reality? Seungyoun wondered and playfully replied, "No, I’m not."

"Oooh, then… don't go…” Wooseok bit his lips and wrapped himself tightly under the comforter.

Seungyoun wanted to laugh a little, but then he saw a drop of sweat on Wooseok’s forehead, so he naturally reached out and wiped it with a light touch.

"Kisses…” Wooseok spoke up again.

"Wh…?" Seungyoun didn't hear it clearly.

"Kiss me before you go..."

Seungyoun hadn't completely retracted his hand, and now after hearing Wooseok’s dream talk, the hand just simply froze in mid-air. Such a “request” came unprepared and too shocking. He looked around for some reason, as if to make sure no one else had heard it.

Wooseok did not say anything strange after that, but Seungyoun found his heart beating hard. He really heard it correctly, right? Wooseok called his name and said "kiss", right? He waved his hand in front of Wooseok’s eyes a few more times, but the other still did not respond, apparently he was really sleeping deep.

"Phew—" Seungyoun breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that it would be better to slip away while it was still possible.

However, the struggle was real. Seungyoun was actually getting so nervous that he felt weak, and all of a sudden, his legs were not listening to him. He thought he would sneak away pretending Wooseok did say nothing in his sleep, but… how could he? Wooseok literally called his name and asked for a kiss before he could go… 

Now Seungyoun desperately found himself locking his eyes on Wooseok’s pink jelly lips. Wooseok looked more defenseless as he slept. His face still flushed from the fever and his mouth slightly opened as if he was really waiting for a kiss. So, what would it feel like to really kiss him…?

And the next thing he knew, he was unknowingly knelt down next to Wooseok already. _It’s just a kiss, a touch on the lips, really, it’s nothing_...... Seungyoun thought to himself but also couldn't help but look around again. He was pretty sure no one was at home besides them, but he was still worried, even wondering whether there would be a hidden camera somewhere. After carefully checking out many more times, he finally got up slightly, holding the edge of the bed with one hand and slowly sinking down until he was close to Wooseok face and could feel his gentle breathing.

"You're the one who said it, ok? You are the one responsible for this." Seungyoun mumbled while squinting his eyes. He then gave Wooseok a light peck on the lips, then shying away instantly.

However, he did not expect the unspeakable sensation that followed. He felt as if he had been electrocuted. What was that bouncy and soft feeling he had never felt before? It was sweet? But also a little astringent? No? He thought he might need to do it again just to make sure. So, he subconsciously returned, this time more carefully open his mouth and kissed down—still very light and gentle, but probably lasted longer than just now. This time, he felt that Wooseok's lips really tasted sweet.

Seungyoun once again got back to his original position on the floor. However, he simply could not sit upright now. He felt his heart was going to jump out of his throat.

So just now he really kissed him? Kissed another man? And just because that man asked him to do so?

Seungyoun took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. He instantly felt guilty because he just took advantage of Wooseok while the latter was sleeping and sick. However, recalling the whole situation from the very beginning, wasn't he the one who Wooseok was calling in the dream and allowing to give him a kiss? 

Seungyoun looked at Wooseok’s sleeping face once again, and it seemed no different from just now as if nothing had happened. Seungyoun didn’t know why but he reached to Wooseok’s messy hairs near his ear and helped to straighten them a little bit. His fingers ran down Wooseok’s face and jawline slowly, there were still sweats, which made the sick man look even more vulnerable and lovable. Speaking of which, Seungyoun suddenly wondered where would Jinhyuk be? If he was here tonight, would he take care of Wooseok? How?

Seungyoun had no idea why the name Lee Jinhyuk would suddenly appear in his head at this moment, but as he realized it, he became inexplicably upset, and this time, he stood up and completely covered Wooseok in his own shadow.

Seungyoun just looked down at Wooseok quietly like this. Looking at this angelic, defenseless face.

He never knew why he felt familiar and liked Wooseok a lot when he first saw him in the prep room of the show. Although it was just an ordinary "like” in the sense of “friendship,” he could sense that he cared about Wooseok a little more than to others. _Maybe everyone likes beautiful people,_ he thought to himself at that time. He also liked the fact that Wooseok was talented and could learn everything quickly and solidly. They could practice together quite naturally and effortlessly. Not to mention, Wooseok always looked so nervous and overwhelmed when surrounded by strangers, which easily provoked Seungyoun’s urge to protect him and lead him the way… so it was only natural to subconsciously take more care of him than the others, right?

But why did he—a person who seldom cared about his own birthday—wanted to see Wooseok so badly on this special day? He didn’t even think about Wooseok that often last week when the show just ended???

Seungyoun’s head was a mess right now. He looked down at Wooseok again without even questioning the bizarre--if not inappropriate--position he was in. And all of a sudden, a sense of possessiveness hit him hard, or maybe it was just because he couldn't think properly at 4 a.m. Anyway, he gently leaned down again, picked away the messy bangs on Wooseok’s forehead, carefully examined Wooseok's long butterfly-winged eyelashes, and then kissed his lips one more time. This time he quietly licked the peak of his upper lip, and moved and rubbed along the curves until he tasted every bit of them. They were really too close, too close that Seungyoun could felt the abnormal temperature of Wooseok’s whole being. It felt as if the fever transferred to his body directly through their touch. This made Seungyoun a little worried, but he felt like he was being sucked in. He tried to taste and suck on those lips more, he wanted to feel Wooseok’s tiny and plumpy mouth, inside and out. It was such an indescribably feeling that he just couldn’t let go.

And before long, he felt as if Wooseok also opened his mouth slightly and started to reciprocate his kiss. Seungyoun, who had closed his eyes, was startled and opened them to take a look, only to find that Wooseok seemed to be still in a dream. He was frowning a bit, yet his mouth and tongue were clearly responding with effort. Seungyoun could feel that the younger wanted it badly, wanted the kiss to be a little more prolonged and lingering, so he did as he was directed, even with one hand holding up Wooseok’s glowing face, which allowed his chin to tilt up slightly for a better angle. And as a result, the kiss continued more pleasingly and more in tune.

_This really is crazy, stop it quickly Cho Seungyoun!_ –Seungyoun kept telling himself in his head.

Then, at a certain moment, Wooseok had stopped moving his mouth and pursed his lips. This made Seungyoun finally lift himself up a bit, too. And immediately after that, Wooseok started coughing badly while turning to a different side. It was probably because he couldn’t breathe anymore and finally needed to take a breather in this way.

***

After coughing for a while, Wooseok woefully rubbed his lips and slowly sat up.

He felt that his lips were on fire and there was some strange wetness on them. His body also felt a bit heavy, although it was normal to feel this way when he had a fever.

He blinked hard and then looked around. His favorite Shiba Inu doll had fallen to the floor at some point. Other than that, everything was as it was before he fell asleep.

_Ah, Seungyoun really went home after I fell asleep? Then that dream I had just now… was it again a fantasy in my burning head?_


End file.
